The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-12-29

"How did yoa eve come BY those
flowers, Miss Edith :" I demanded Sc
TIE girl turned very rcd Somebody
gave them to me" che said in insolent
defiance.
sYou wicked girl, broke in Miss
Turner, 8" do You rsmembr Ananias aud
Sapphiraf Those are ~4As. professors
flowers. You pert, vsin qeatare to sup
pose be would give thAp . chit like
You-it is shameful-n' -ag
Edith Redeemed NJ more, but
could see that she wxsf ng and laugh.
ing to herself while Ise u TO bed. @I
will speak to Edith tonoikow. She can't
trihe with me. de btiieve can see
through mill stone. Ne one can blind
me-" said in tone Of deep meaning.
"Some one ought 70 give the professor
hint OF Edith's duplicity," suggested
Miss Brown.
Perhaps it would be just. ~ we'll to give
him hint of her shocking behavior to-
ward that dissoluta wretch, Dick Gran
ger" supplemented Misa Tnsper.
:. shall certainly dS NIL. returned
in emphatic approval. +" Professor West
mcst be warned, he is such good man
such an innocent, unsuspecting disposl.
tioD-we must take care of him. / do
fatter myself am judge of men-yes,
he must be told about Edith Sands.
The teachers agreed with me perfectly
indeed, could not recollect when we
were all SO unanimous upon any subject.
I thought over all l had to say to the pro-
fessor, until had arranged quite hap.
py and effective way of putting it. PLAIN.
ly it was my duty to secure the professor
against the arts and wiles of this weak,
pretty face-a girl without the faintest
claim to queenly figure.
Professor West arrived much earlier
than we expected. However the mo-
ment heard of it I saw my opportunity
to give him q precautionary hint about
Edith's indecorous, artful ways. The
parlor door was partly open, and the pro-
fessor's voice audible from within. had
the curiosity to stop outside and listen.
Ny position demands watchiulness.
"Don't be alarmed" be was saying ;
" my luck never wavers- That old drag
on is no match for me.
"But Pm dying with fright all the
time. How can you do 1T"
The voice was no other than Es1ith's.
She broke off into laugh, but turned
first red, then pale. when | walked in,
holding myself very erect and assuming
my most commanding aspect. 1t evident
ly impressed the professor, for he put on
his immense green glasses and at once be-
gan to talk to me of the fossils of the ter
tiary epoch. made my points about ex-
tinct pachyderms while l had chance
They we're telling and powerful, and /
must say, delivered in an eloquent and
scientific style. l had been awake until
two in the morning reading up on the
subject. Professor West turned his head
on one side, and then the other, and look
ed meditative.
81 am lost in admiration it is your
fgure-the form of Juno-superb in
spring !" he suddenly declared, with that
delightful, ingenious candor which dis
covered from the very first as beautiful
trait of his disposition.
Don't fatter me, you dear, naughty
man." l exclaimed, as shook my finger
at him.
Flattery," he retorted; Il am an
unsophsticated fellow, always letting
some truth slip out and giving ofense.
All me, know you are furious"
Poor fellow! He was so grieved and
somehow seemed so fearful Of making me
angry, when, on the contrary, / was
pleased. that l had not remembered
Edith.
"Don't apologize the truth will slip
OUT said very kindly. He did look so
wonderfully handsome, even with those
hideous green glasses on. "We quite
understand each other, and may say are
80 congenial that we are sometimes i'm
posed upon. feel it my painful duty to
warn you-yes, really warn you-against
a pert, forward, insolent girl, as shallow
aud vain as peacock"
The professor came step nearer.
think I know who you mean," he whis-
pered. fairly lost my tenper-not with
the professor, not at all he was so good
looking-but with that abandoned girl
irving to attract his attention. 1t was
scandalous.
"She IS an unprincipled, designing
creature" went on.
"And 30 desperate homely," he added.
Il knew you would think so," was my
triumphant reply; but, would you be-
lieve it, some people call Edith Sands
pretty
Inoticed that his face flushed suddenly.
edith Sands? Where have heard
that name ?" he questioned, thoughtfully.
"a n - h, 81
scarcely noticed very ordinary, is she
not ?'' "Fearfully SO" l assured him.
"She has been badly compromised by a
shocking affair with dissolute sconndrel,
Dick Granger. | watch her very closely
The miserable knave can't trifle with me.
beg you to remember that this is a mark
of my confidence purely confidential.
mean to outwit that rascal Granger, and
of course can't allow you to be taken in.
Come to me if Edith speaks, or even looks,
at you, my dear professor. Be assured
that will protect you.
The teachers interrupted me by coming
in at that moment, but the professor
pressed my hand gratefully and thanked
me in the sweetest way rs we went ont
to the lecture room. It quite startled and
kept me awake long after my hour for
retiring. and then, late as it was, caught
glimpse, through the window, of PROBES
sor West moving through the shrubbery,
in the moonlight, gazing up at the win
dows, perhaps at mine. The professor
is 90 unsoph,stlcated so innocent and so
good, 50 very good.